A short film based during World War II about a group of Greek prisoners in Auchswitz has been named an official selection at the Toronto Shorts International Film Festival.

Based on four years of research by Greek American producer Gregory C Pappas, Eleftheromania was written and produced together with Canadian filmmakers Joanna Tsanis and Chuck Scott, and directed by award-winning director David Antoniuk.

The story of the group of prisoners from Greece who were brought to Auschwitz in June 1944, was discovered and brought to light by Pappas.

The film is set in the barracks of the death camp and sees the prisoners having a discussion about their options after they have been given unthinkable orders by their captors.

Shot in Toronto, the film then switches to modern day New York City where an Holocaust survivor named Piroska, played by Olympia Dukakis, tells her friend, a journalist played by Anthoula Katsimatides, of the stories she recalls circulating in the camp about the Greek prisoners.

The 20-minute short closes with Greek songstress Glykeria’s own rendition of the song Minore Tis Avgis.

Eleftheromania will make its world premier at the TSIFF on Friday 2 March.

Watch the trailer here: